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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 1. J. J. IGLEHART. AUTOMATIG LOOKING STAY FOR DESK 'LIDS. No. 254,324.

Patented Feb. 28,1882.

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2 t 2 w 00 w m s 00' a Z M S Qm e Ku u St En m Tuna m Y HA M G N IT. .m m JG I T A M 0 W. M w u M e m 2 O o m N WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. IGLEHART, OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WALTER IV. GARTH, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC LOCKING- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,324, dated February 28, 1882.

' Application'filed August 24,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH J. IGLEHART, of (.lolumbia,in the county of Boone and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and Improved Automatic Locking-Stay for Desk-Lids, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a self-locking stay or support for desk-lids, awnings, sky-lights, transoms, 850., that will lock them open and closed and support them when open.

The invention consists of two flat plates pivoted together at their overlapping ends so that they may be folded upon and parallel with each other or be opened and extended in a straight line; and itconsists, further, ofa movable locking-pin heldin a socket or opening in one plate and adapted to engage in a socket in the other plate to lock the two together in a folded or open position; and itfurther consists of a stop to prevent the desk or other article from looking when closed, all of which will be hereinafter set forth,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an open desk with my improved stay and lock in position. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same closed and locked. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of an open desk with my improved device in position, on line 0c 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the key used in unlocking the devicefrom a closed position. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of an open desk with a modified form of my device in position, on line 2 2, Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the same closed and locked. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of an open desk with my modified stay and lock in position, on liney y,

Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the key used in unlocking my modified device from a closed position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the body, and B the lid or cover, of a desk.

O G represent two flat metal plates or stays, placed face to face and pivoted together by a rivet, a, passing through them within a short distance of their ends. The plate 0 has a socketor slot, 1), in its pivoted end, outside of the rivet a, in which socket or slot 1) the lock-bolt D is movably held, said bolt D having enlarged heads, 0, to preventits disengagement. The-pivoted end of the stay or plate 0 is cut away on one edge into a half-elliptic curve, d, at either end of which is formed an L-shaped socket or slot, ff, and the extremity of the plate 0, beyond the socket f, is formed into a hook, g, to prevent the saidsupporting-plate G from turning on the pivot to beyond the lock-bolt D, or, rather, to secure the engagement of the said boltD in the socketf whenever the devioeis closed. The pivotais passed about centrally through the elliptic d, half-way between the sockets ff. The free ends of the plates or stays(l G are pivoted, the one on the inside of the desk-body A and the other on a cleat, B, on the inside of the lid B, in such a manner that the hooked extremity g ofthe stay 0 is downward when the desk-lid B is open, as shown in Fig. 1. \Vhen the lid B is raised and the stays O O are extended, as shown in Fig. 1, the bolt D falls'into the SOOkel f, and thereby holds said stars 0 G immovablein line and supportii'ig the lid B in an open position.

. hen it is desired to close the lid B the-operator lifts the lock-bolt D from the socket f and presses said lid B down, thereby causing the stays G O to incline inward at their point of connection, as indicated in dottedlines, Fig. 1, and their other ends to be approached to each other. As the closing movement of the lid B continues, the lock-bolt D rests upon and is held firmly in its socket b by the elliptic curve cl of the stay 0 until the desk is fully closed. Then said bolt D falls into the socket f of the stay 0, and thereby holds the stays C G folded and the desk-lid thereby locked. It is necessary, in order that the lock-bolt D mayenter by its gravity the socketf, that the stays O O be held on a slight incline when closed, and hencea supporting-stud, E, is projected from the inside of thedesk Arto prevent,

the undue depression of the'pivoted and locked ends of said stays O G. On the inside ofsaid desk A, near its front, is pivoted a stop, F, of sufficient length for its point to extend above the desk-body, whereby the lid B may be prevented from fully closing and from looking.

From either side of the lower end of the stop F there extends a hooked lug, h, one of which engages over or upon apin, '5, projecting inward from the side of the desk A, and thereby retains said stop F in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 1, while the opposite lug h engages against said pin 2' when the lid B is closed and holds said stop F in a nearly horizontal position, convenient for use, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to unlock the locking-stays O O, and consequently the desk, a double-bitted key, G, is introduced into the key-hole It, so thatits end shall rest in the grooved plate E, and turned so that its bits shall straddle the edges of the stays O O and take against each end of the lock-bolt D. Then-the said key Gr is turned so as to lift the lock-bolt D out of the slot f, that the stay 0 may be turned on its pivot to, and the desk shall be opened.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 is shown a modification ofiny improved stay'and lock, wherein the stays H H overlap each other and are held together by a pivot, m. The stay H has secured upon it a spring, I, from one end of which projects at right angles a locking-pin, I, whose point rests in a hole or socket, a, made in said stay The stay H has formed in a H, near its edge. it two holes or sockets, 0 0, placed diagonally across the face of said stay H, near its opposite edges, into which socketso 0 the lockingpin 1 i forced by thespring Lfor locking the said stays H H on the opening or closing of the desk, as the case maybe. When the lid B is raised, as shown in Fig. 5, the holes 11. 0 ot the stays H H respectively coincide with each othr-r,and the pin 1 is'then forced by the spring I through both sockets 'n 0, thereby firmly locking said stays H H open.

In order to close the desk-lid B the operator takes hold of the hooked extremity p of the spring Iwhich extremityp is so formed to atford a convenient handle or hold to the operator-and, pulling upon said extremity p, disengages the pin I from the socket 0. Then on pressing down the lid B the stays H H are gradually folded together until the said lid B is closed, when, the sockets n 0 being coincident, the locking-pin I is forced into the socket 0 by the spring I, thereby locking the desk.

In order to open the desk, the operator introduces the sin gle-bitted key L through the keyhole 8 until said key L rests in the guard t. Then said key L is turned so that its wedgeshaped bit a shall pass between the spring I and its stay H, and, forcing the former out,

lapping ends for locking them togetherin either an extended position or in a folded position, whereby the lid is adapted to be supported when raised and locked when lowered, sub-' stantially as shown and described.

2. An automatic stay and lock for desks, &c., consisting of two plates pivoted together at their overlapping ends, one of the said plates being provided with a locking-pin working in a slot and the other with a locking-socket on each side of the pivot that connects the two plates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an automatic desk stay and lock, the combination, with the stay 0, provided with the slot 2), and the sliding locking-bolt D, of the stay 0, provided with the locking-sockets f f, and hook g, the said plates being pivoted together at their overlapping ends, substantially as and for the purpose'set forth.

4. The combination, with the desk stay and lock, substantially as herein shown and described, and desk A, of the pivoted stop F, provided with lugs h and pin 2, substantially as shown, whereby the desk-lid may be prevented from locking, as set forth.

JOSEPH JAMES IGLEHART. Witnesses:

JOSIAH W. STONE, WALTER F. Hones. 

